


and here it is safe

by alexiley



Series: if only for a moment [2]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, No beta we kayak like Tim, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Post-MAG180, Set in Episodes 180-181 | Upton Safehouse Period (The Magnus Archives), showering together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:22:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26652877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexiley/pseuds/alexiley
Summary: Jon can’t remember the last time he felt so warm.Jon and Martin get a well-earned reprieve and take full advantage even if they know it can't last forever.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Series: if only for a moment [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939204
Comments: 14
Kudos: 192





	and here it is safe

**Author's Note:**

> and i'm back with another 'showering together' fic because jonny really gave us not one but TWO safe house periods as a treat  
>   
> SPOILERS FOR MAG 180

Jon can’t remember the last time he felt so warm.

He slowly opens his eyes, still feeling heavy with drowsiness, and finds himself tucked beneath the comforting weight of several blankets in an unfamiliar bed. Across from him, bright sunlight pours golden through an open window looking out on a wide field of green that seems to go on forever, and...can that really be birdsong? He thinks it just might be, and Christ, when was the last time he heard that? Must have been weeks, months even.

Someone shifts beside him, and Jon rolls away from the open window to see Martin curled against him beneath the sheets. He appears relaxed in a way Jon hasn’t seen him look in months, his face smooth of any worry lines and his lips parted ever-so-slightly. Jon can’t help but feel a sudden surge of fondness and reaches out a hand to card his fingers through Martin’s hair. Martin hums softly but doesn’t open his eyes.

Jon smiles, “Good morning.”

“Shh, I’m sleeping,” Martin mumbles into his pillow.

“Hmm is that so?” Jon huffs a laugh before leaning in and pressing a kiss to Martin’s forehead. “Dreaming about anything?”

“Just that my boyfriend won’t let me sleep in peace,” Martin heaves a put-upon sigh and finally opens his eyes. Something changes in Martin’s expression as he takes in the surroundings; his gaze falls back on Jon after a moment, his eyes suddenly looking a bit watery.

Jon immediately moves his hand to cup Martin’s cheek, brushing his thumb against his cheekbone. “Martin, what is it?”

“It’s…” Martin trails off as if searching for the words. “It’s just...it’s almost like we’re back...in Scotland, I mean. I know we’re not, but…I’ve missed this. I’ve really,  _ really _ missed this.”

He smiles damply, and Jon can’t not hold him. He pulls him closer so he can bury his face in the crook of Martin’s neck. Martin wraps his arms around him, clutching him like he’s afraid if he lets go, Jon will disappear and this beautiful reality they’ve found themselves in will melt away along with him.

“I’ve missed it too,” Jon murmurs against Martin’s skin.

He leans up and kisses him gently on the lips, just for a moment allowing himself to become lost in the tenderness of every brush of Martin against him. Martin kisses him back, one hand finding its way into his hair, the other curling further around Jon’s waist.

When they pull away, Jon smiles up at him, and for a moment Martin returns it before his grin falls, and he gives a sharp intake of breath. “Jon, your eyes.”  
Jon starts a bit, feeling a chill settle into his skin despite the warmth of Martin beside him. “What’s wrong with them?”

“It’s—” Martin laughs brightly much to Jon’s astonishment. “Well, why don’t you go look for yourself.”

There’s a mirror across the room, and as Jon drags himself reluctantly from bed, he can’t help but fear what he will see in his reflection. Ever since Magnus’ ritual, his eyes have been stained an unnatural jet black; Jon hates them of course and, until now, had been very happy indeed that there hadn’t been many mirrors to be had in the apocalypse. But now when he looks in the mirror, will they still be a pooling black, trailing ink or blood or something even worse down his cheeks? Will they glow a sickening green like Martin always said they did whenever he took a statement?

But just as soon as he faces the mirror, all those disgusted worries fall away.

Staring back at him is a man, haggard and well past exhausted and dressed in genuinely grimy clothes, but his eyes…

His eyes are a deep hazel brown, just like they had once been before the world ended. Admittedly there are more flecks of green in the irises than before but still; there is no inky black or luminescent green. Only hazel.

Jon leans closer, searching for some flaw in his reflection, some sign that this mirror is lying somehow, but finds nothing. He can’t help but break out in shaky, relieved laughter as he blinks at his reflection in sheer disbelief.

“They’re…” Jon trails off with an incredulous shake of his head.

A pair of arms wind their way around his waist, and Martin joins him in the mirror, his chin resting on Jon’s hair. He is smiling brightly while absentmindedly pressing kisses to the top of Jon’s head.

For a moment, they both admire his no longer darkened eyes in silence before Martin shifts and stands a bit straighter.

“How about a shower? I’d really like to get out of these clothes.”

Jon nods along but doesn’t move, obviously rather reluctant to leave his position in front of the mirror. With an amused sigh, Martin takes Jon’s hand in his and pulls him away.

“I promise your eyes won’t change back the second you stop looking at them,” he says fondly while squeezing his hand.

Jon’s cheeks darken as he ducks his head in a curt nod. “Quite.”

The bathroom is just off of the bedroom and is far larger and better kept than the tiny one back in Daisy’s cabin. The entire room seems to shine with a sleek polish; the shower itself takes up almost a third of the room, almost glowing itself. It’s certainly enough to give both Jon and Martin pause upon stepping through the door.

They undress with their backs to each other and try to step into the shower at the same time because at some point they both decided they would be showering together. The joint assumption and the resulting collision is enough to make them both giggle as Martin steps in first, followed quickly by Jon, and reaches over to turn the faucet. 

The water spurts out and is just hot enough not to be scalding, and it’s, altogether, incredibly pleasant. Jon can feel months of wear and grime being washed away in a matter of seconds and can’t help but let out a contented sigh that makes Martin laugh a bit, jolting Jon out of his bliss. He stares up at Martin, taking all of him in, his bright, gentle eyes, the freckles scattered across his nose and cheeks, the curls of his hair now plastered to his head from the stream of water, the steady smile that feels like home, and Jon doesn’t think he’s ever been more in love.

“Jon?” Martin draws out his name with a nervous smile, soundly slightly concerned. “You alright?”

Jon nods, searching for something profound and meaningful to say that will make Martin blush and stutter over a few syllables that certainly aren’t words, and finally just settles on a soft “I love you, Martin Blackwood.”

And Martin does blush, and Martin does stutter, making Jon laugh despite himself.

Martin huffs in annoyance, “You did that on purpose!”

Jon just grins and shrugs. “Maybe.”

Martin splashes some water goodnaturedly into Jon’s face, causing Jon to flinch away with an insulted “Hey!”, but then pulls Jon against his chest, smothering any more protests in the process.

They hold each other until the laughter fades into a gentle silence. The quiet seems to weigh on both of them because Martin takes a shaky breath like he’s once again fighting off tears, and Jon tightens his hold on him without a thought.

“Jon,” Martin begins, his voice sounding a bit strained with stifled emotion. “Are we safe here?”

Jon lets out a quiet breath. “I, I don’t know. I don’t Know  _ anything _ . Not here. I can’t be sure what Annabelle and Salesa have planned for us, but...we could be, yes.”

Martin hums in thought. “Do you...do you think we could stay? If we wanted to?”

“Hmm, I think so,” Jon says after a moment; he pulls away from the embrace, not going far but needing to look Martin in the eye. “And do you? Want to, that is.”

Martin bites his lip. “I...” he sighs. “Yes, I do. I know it’s selfish but...”

Jon nods. “We could. We could stay. We could be happy here.”

Martin shakes his head. “But that’s just it. We can’t! There are people relying on us out there, and I don’t know if I could ever be at peace knowing we abandoned them.”

Jon can’t deny the way his shoulder slump at Martin’s words but he nods and smiles sadly to himself.

“And what about you? Do you want to stay?” Martin asks tentatively.

Jon pauses before responding. “I think...this is the most human I’ve felt in a very long time, so I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t like to, but…” he sighs. “You’re right. It isn’t fair to abandon Georgie or Melanie or Basira. So...I suppose we’ll just have to enjoy this for as long as we can,” he finishes with a trembling smile.

Martin smiles back, his eyes appearing slightly red. “Yeah. Yeah, that sounds nice.”

Jon leans up and kisses him gently, and as he settles back into Martin’s embrace, he decides to let himself have this for however long it lasts. And for now, he’s never been happier.

**Author's Note:**

> shit did i make it sad shit  
>   
> happy jonmartin day everyone :)  
>   
> my [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/alexiley)


End file.
